Sunday, September 28, 2014

With only two days remaining in the Optimist International administrative year, it's time for our current officers to complete the paperwork necessary to tell Optimist International that they deserve Honor or Distinguished Optimist Club recognition.

Every year, I remind our clubs that earning the recognition is not about you personally. Yes, the Optimist Club president will receive a banner patch with his or her name sewn on it and it will be placed on your club's banner for all to see. But do you know what someone sees when they see that patch?

They see that this Optimist Club has pride. They see that this Optimist Club has a record of achievement. They see that this Optimist Club is a leader in Optimist International and therefore, it must be a leader in the community. They see hope for the future in the form of an Optimist Club.

The end of the Optimist International administrative year is also the beginning. There is no better day than today to ask someone to join your Optimist Club. Remind them that their community is calling. All they need to do is answer the call to friendship and service by joining an Optimist Club.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Caldwell Optimist Club member Casey Crookham shared this awesome picture on his Facebook page. It's a shot of six young ladies taking a break from their hard work at the Caldwell Night Rodeo. Members of the Caldwell Optimist Club-sponsored soccer league, they were on hand to help the Optimist Club with their fundraising booth.

What could be better than smiling youths helping out with an Optimist Club program? How about smiling young ladies in great pink Optimist International shirts.

I don't know about you, but I want one. Perhaps the Caldwell Optimist Club might bring some pink Optimist International shirts to the next quarterly meeting and donate the funds raised to the Optimist International Foundation. Would you buy one? Let us know!

Governor Designate Dick Disney and District S/T Emma Ball would appreciate your early registration by October 3. Please follow this link to register now.

The first quarter meeting is a must for all Optimist Club presidents and club scholarship contest chairpersons. At this meeting, we approve the budget and work plan for the year and learn the dates and requirements of the essay, oratorical and CCDHH contests, among other things.

It's always fun to gather our group together for the betterment of our communities and children. Don't be late to the mouseketeer party. Register online now.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

The McCall Optimist Club takes the summer off. After all, what's a club to do when it meets in a resort location but enjoy the busy-ness and commerce that accompanies all the visitors to their community. But when September hits, the club is back at work making sure that their resort is also their home.

Every week, we receive a weekly email reminding members to attend. This quick little message is both informative and inspirational. Most of all, it encourages members to get up early on Tuesday morning and be ready to learn about their community.

This week's message said a little more. It said that the board will be meeting and they want all members to attend and help plan the installation dinner and budget, line-up speakers, and plan a membership drive.

Now those are some positive administrative duties indeed. The McCall Optimist Club is planning for the future. Is your Optimist Club doing the same?

You have to plan for the succession and growth of your Optimist Club. It does not happen by accident. It takes hope and positive vision, and a little planning, to bring out the best in not just children, but in all of us.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

When I write for this blog, I try to focus on the positive aspects of belonging to an Optimist Club. For this post, I must step away from that local focus. I need to share with you some membership statistics for the PNW District from the past five years. Fair warning: they aren't pretty.

Please take a look at the raw numbers of net member gain/loss that the PNW District has experienced over the past five years. In only one year, 2009-2010, have we celebrated with more members at the end of the year than we had at the beginning of the year.

According to statistics prepared by Optimist International, the PNW District is losing an average of 123 members per year. At that rate, in approximately 10 years, it will be out of business.

We hear that all service clubs are on a downward spiral. At the Optimist International Convention, we heard, being the optimists that we are, the good news is that Optimist International is losing members at a lower rate than its counterparts.

We must reverse this trend.

International President-elect Dave Bruns has made a challenge to all: Let's reach 100,000 members by our 100th anniversary.

We can meet this goal if every Optimist Club member does only one thing: recruit one new member by 2018. You can do that, right?

However, the challenge remains that we will also lose members to natural attrition and for other reasons every year. So I want to ask you to do a little more.

Recruit one new member every year.

That's really not that tough once you get in a mindset to share the goodness of your involvement with an Optimist Club with others.

Share how it feels to belong and make a difference. Share your story. Ask someone to join your Optimist Club so that their lives will feel complete in the service to others. They will also find the friendship and fellowship of others who share similar beliefs and goals.

We all want to make the world a better place to live. Let's do it through membership and participation in an Optimist Club.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Membership maintenance remains fairly level in the PNW District. In raw numbers, that means Optimist Clubs in this district have added 150 new members and deleted only 195 members. That also means that almost every club has the ability to become an Honor Club this year.

I'm not sure that I remember a time before when this was possible. In order to be recognized by Optimist International for exceptional service to your community with excellent administrative practices, your club must do the following by September 30:

Honor Club
(Club will receive a banner patch, year bar with Club President’s name and year; thereafter a year bar with Club President’s name)

Complete at least three service projects a year (submit President's Pride Report)

Recognize a Club member or local community individual

Grow Club by net plus 1

Be current on District and OI dues

Distinguished Club
(Club will receive a watch for club President and secretary and/or treasurer, a banner patch with the Club President’s name; thereafter a year bar with club President’s name and watch)

Meet Honor Club Criteria plus:

Net of 15 OR Charter a New Club

When an Optimist Club earns the Honor Club recognition, it tells its members and its community that it is doing everything it can do be a vital part of the community today and far into the future.

Help your Optimist Club achieve this distinction by asking someone to join your Optimist Club today.

Unless otherwise indicated, all information on this site has been created and contributed by Linda Vaught. Please give attribution to the author and/or blog when sharing information from this website. Thank you.